The adventure in Italy is underway

The GRACIEMAG.com team is already on location in Biella, Italy, for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Professional Cup. The event kicks off this Saturday and has big excitement in store, with two superfights (Kron Gracie vs. Yan Cabral and Bernardo Faria vs. Raphael Abi-Rihan.

The competitors are already showing up in town for the contest – which the stars of the superfights will partake in as well –, as are famous faces like Carlson Gracie Jr. and Ricardo De La Riva, who will teach a seminar for all the participants in the event once it is over.

The trip from Rio to Italy started on Monday at Galeão airport, alongside Rickson Gracie, another big name to grace the Lauretano Forum gymnasium. After a brief stopover in Madrid, after nine hours in the air, it was another three hours to Milan.

“I slept the whole flight, it was swell!” remarked the Gracie as he awaited his luggage. “After the event I’m going to Holland, to Amsterdam, where I’ll teach some seminars,” he added.

Outside Malpensa airport, Rickson joined Kron and other family members, while we took off for Biella – another hour trip by car. Biella is an industrial city, which also has ecotourism and trips to the mountains among its attractions. Despite the pleasant spring weather in Europe, one can see blocks of snow on the peaks of the mountains. The population is approximately 46,000 inhabitants and there’s plenty of excellent pasta and pizza on offer, of course, as well as exquisite ice cream for desert. That is, this reporter will need to add some notches to his belt.

Turin / Photo: Carlos Ozório

Alongside IBJJF referees Alvaro Bobadilla and Alan Moraes and colleagues from the press, the time up until the event will be spent taking trips to neighboring towns. This Friday it will be Turin, the city pictured in this article.

At restaurants in Biella, even the waiters are asking about the martial arts event, even though the people of the town aren’t so familiar with Jiu-Jitsu. No problem, starting Saturday they’ll be treated to a great show.

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